


To Catch a Gremlin

by WindChimeGhost



Series: And Baby Makes Four [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, All Hollows' Eve, Alternate Universe, Autumn, Creepy, Daisy the snake, Ficlet, Frankenstein's Monster - Freeform, Gen, Gremlin - Freeform, Halloween, Haunted House, Holiday, Holidays, Horror, Loki (Marvel)-centric, Monsters, Mortal Loki, Post-Thor: The Dark World, Short One Shot, Short Story, Spooky, Suspense, The Howling Commandos Monsters, Thorsdaughter, Werewolf, fall - Freeform, mummy - Freeform, swamp monster - Freeform, the Howling Commandos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26808046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindChimeGhost/pseuds/WindChimeGhost
Summary: Loki is blamed for pranks played on the neighbors. He knows he didn’t do them. So, who or what did? He investigates to clear his name and uncovers more than he bargained for on his late night Halloween adventure.Special holiday short story that goes along with my ‘And Baby Makes Four’ fanfic.
Relationships: Jane Foster/Thor
Series: And Baby Makes Four [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790569
Kudos: 5





	To Catch a Gremlin

**Author's Note:**

> ~ Comments are welcomed. But critique is not desired ~
> 
> **This fic takes place AFTER 'And Baby Makes Four'.**
> 
> Just a fun little short story I decided to treat everyone with this October. =) Hope you all enjoy.
> 
> Since the Howling Commandos haven’t appeared in the MCU yet (I wish they would. They should have at least included them in an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), I based their appearances in this fic on the versions seen in the Marvel animated series.
> 
> Loki and all related characters © Marvel
> 
> Fanfic and plot ©2020 by me
> 
> (Please do not take, use, edit, or repost without permission. Linking my fanfics around the Internet or making copies/downloading them to Kindle/tablets for private use is perfectly okay. But copying and reposting or redistributing them without my permission is NOT okay.)

Loki balled his fists and flattened his mouth to keep from saying something that would push Jane over the edge. He stared at her across the kitchen table while she stared back, her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for him to make the next move.

They just got through having a heated discussion over the subject of Loki wanting to play Halloween pranks on the neighbors.

“But Jane…” Loki whined.

“I said no, Loki, and that’s final. Do I have to keep repeating myself?” She gave him a warning look that told him he’d better cut off the conversation as soon as possible or her next move wouldn’t be pleasant…for either of them.

Finally, he sighed in defeat.

A piercing scream came from the living room which was then followed by crying.

“Jane!” Thor called.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to see what Torunn wants.” Jane walked forward, past Loki, and into the living room.

It wasn’t fair. It was Halloween, and he wasn’t allowed to play pranks. Okay, technically, it was four days before Halloween, but still. It was the week of Halloween. What was the fun of Halloween if you weren’t allowed to play pranks?

It wasn’t his first Halloween. That was last year. And he quickly decided it was his absolute favorite Midgard holiday with the 4th of July running a close second. It was like Halloween was made just for him. Unfortunately, since Jane had been pregnant with Torunn at the time, she hadn’t been able to fully introduce the trickster to the earth holiday in the way she wanted. So she planned to make this year’s Halloween extra special by taking him to the costume party at the beach. There would be food, games, music, candy, a costume contest, and a small carnival. While Loki was excited about going, he still wanted to have fun playing pranks. The closer the day came, the more something stirred inside him, begging to be let out. Pranks and tricks were part of his nature. He HAD to do this! He couldn’t just sit by and let a day where it was perfectly acceptable to play tricks go by without him being involved. That was like torture.

“I’m a trickster. It’s what I do!” he continued as he turned and entered the living room. “Halloween is my kind of day. Pleeeease, Jane? Just a few tricks? They’ll be harmless, I promise. I won’t damage anything or hurt anyone. I’ll go with the classic. I’ll TP every house on the block.”

Jane picked up Torunn and bounced her in her arms. “I don’t care if you _are_ a trickster and that’s what you do. You are not going to TP the neighbors. It might be harmless, but those poor people still have to clean it up. Not to mention, you are not wasting all of our toilet paper.”

“Jane!”

“Loki, I’ve heard enough.” Jane sighed tiredly. “Do you remember last year’s mess?”

Loki’s brow drew down. “What? That was never proven to be my fault. You know that!”

Last year’s mess—those red paint footprints tracked across each neighbor’s yard. He didn’t know why she was bringing that up. He didn’t do it. And what’s more, there had been no evidence whatsoever at the time that pointed to him being the perpetrator, even though every neighbor felt a need to complain to Jane and Thor about it. Some old woman who lived five houses down the street swore up and down that she saw a man having long black hair like his tramping across her lawn after the trick-or-treaters stopped coming. Loki wasn’t sure how that was possible since he’d never walked through her yard. Besides, it was night. The woman in question had a hard enough time seeing during the day as it was even when she was wearing her two-inch-thick coke bottle glasses. An elephant could walk through her yard and she’d probably think it looked like him. Anyway, after a thorough inspection of Loki’s room was carried out by both Thor and Jane the next day, no shoes matching the footprints were found. And no can of red paint was ever found on the property. Jane and Thor had been forced to drop the subject and apologize to him for the accusations.

“You are not playing pranks on the neighbors. Now, either you drop the subject or I don’t take you to the beach party.”

Loki straightened.

“Behave, brother,” Thor said from the couch. “You will have plenty of fun at the party.”

“But…”

“Loki, Jane doesn’t want to hear any more of your whining.” Thor turned around to look at his brother. “And frankly, neither do I. If you keep on, your butt is going to be in pain. Do I make myself clear?”

Loki’s shoulders slumped. “Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

Loki took one final glance at Jane and exited the room to go upstairs. He shut the door to his bedroom and threw himself across the bed, exhaling a long, frustrated sigh.

“It isn’t fair, Daisy,” he said aloud to his pet ball python. The yellow snake was currently curled up in her water dish, not caring in the least about her owner’s problems. “The mortals have one day a year where you’re free to play tricks. I’m a trickster. I should be able to take part in these festivities. But noooooo. Jane says I can’t.” He huffed. “She even brought up the red footprints incident from last year, which I never did. I admit it was a good prank; I commend whoever did it. But it wasn’t me. She and Thor both know this. Yet, she still acts like it was _my_ fault.”

Daisy flicked her tongue.

Loki rolled over to stare at the ceiling and sighed loudly again. “I would sneak out of the house, but I’d get in trouble for it. Jane wouldn’t take me to the party, and Thor would wear the living daylights out of my butt.” He paused. “But then again, that’s never stopped me before.” He let out another sigh. “I really want to go to that party, though.”

He got up and walked to the window and peered out toward the ocean. With the beach being within walking distance from their neighborhood, he could see the carnival’s Ferris wheel easily from his room. They were in the process of getting everything set up for Halloween night.

“What do I do, Daisy? Go to the party or sneak out to play some pranks?”

Loki mulled over his choices. While sneaking out and playing pranks was thoroughly tempting him, he finally decided that his desire to go to the party was greater at the moment. Besides, he hated the thought of disobeying Jane. And he hated, even more, the thought of Thor tanning his hide. The last thing he wanted was a sore bottom on Halloween and no party to go to.

Loki absently put his hands behind him and rubbed his bottom, remembering the pain of the last spanking Thor gave him a few weeks ago for back talking.

On the other hand, if he approached and planned this carefully, there had to be a way that allowed him to do both.

“I could go to the party then sneak away to play pranks and come back to the party. Jane and Thor would never know because of the crowds and everyone dressed in costumes. I can tell them I’m going to go on a few rides at the carnival. But instead of going on the rides, I can double back around to the neighborhood, pull off a few pranks, and quickly get back to the beach.” Loki smiled. “No one will ever know.”

But what if Thor and Jane found out? What then? He ran his hands over his bottom slowly as he thought about this. He knew perfectly well what would happen. His mind worked furiously as he returned to the bed. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all.

The following afternoon, Loki walked downstairs and was met by Jane in the living room. He noticed right away that she looked troubled.

“I’m here. What’s wrong?”

“Loki, I just got off the phone. The second caller I’ve had since noon. Seems like someone went out pranking the neighborhood last night and did damage to some of our neighbors’ properties. One of them was the elderly woman down the street. She woke up this morning and found her prized flower garden uprooted.”

Loki shrugged. “I don’t see that as being a prank. Could have been an animal.”

“That isn’t all. Another neighbor said his car was vandalized. Apparently, someone thought it was funny to paint _‘I love bacon’_ across the side in yellow paint. You wouldn’t know anything about this, would you?” She lifted an eyebrow as she waited for his answer.

Loki stared at her a full minute while he thought over everything she just told him. He put a hand on his chest, totally taken back at what he was hearing.

“I… What?? You think _I_ did it?? I didn’t! I swear!” he said.

“Then who did?” Thor asked from the couch. He bounced a giggling Torunn on his knee.

Loki’s eyes darted between Thor and Jane, his mouth working as his mind struggled with an answer that wouldn’t get him spanked. “How should I know?”

“Loki…” Jane said, her voice giving off a warning.

“I was in my room all night! I slept through the whole night without waking up once.”

“It’s kind of hard for us to believe that when you’ve snuck out at nights several times already,” Thor pointed out. “And you’re a skillful liar, might I add. How do we know you’re not lying right now?”

“But…but…” The words died in Loki’s mouth. His face scrunched up in frustration.

“You were very adamant during our conversation last night about going out and playing pranks and was upset when I told you no.” Jane fixed Loki with a hard gaze.

Loki’s mouth dropped open, not believing what he was hearing. “I’m telling the truth this time! Honest! You’ve got to believe me! I never once left my room last night.” His eyes darted between Jane and Thor, hoping they believed him. A chill ran down his spine and tingled in his butt, warning him to tread lightly. He was almost sure this conversation would end in a spanking if he wasn’t careful. “You can’t accuse me of doing anything unless you have proof that I did it. And I’m telling you right now that I didn’t do it. Why would I even uproot someone’s flowers, anyway? I’m the prince of tricks, true. But uprooting flowers is beneath me. It’s a child’s trick—something an amateur would do. And you can search my room for yellow paint if you want. You won’t find any there, just like you didn’t find any red paint last year.”

“But you wanted to TP the neighbors’ trees… Wouldn’t that be beneath you too?”

Loki turned to Jane and smiled. “Some pranks are classics no matter how simple they are.”

Thor pointed a finger at him, fixing him with a hard gaze. “I trust you are telling the truth for now. But if evidence arises later that points to you playing those pranks, you will pay dearly for it. Do you understand, brother?”

Loki swallowed and lowered his eyes to the ground. “Yes.”

The conversation over, Loki walked quickly to the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. He downed most of it and replaced the cap shakily. He stared through the screen on the back door, his mind racing. He knew he didn’t play those pranks. He couldn’t have. He was telling the truth. He slept soundly through the whole night without waking up once, not even to use the bathroom.

So, who played the pranks?

Probably some of the neighborhood teenagers. But what if it wasn’t? What if it was those shadow demons from the Dark Dimension again? He shuddered at the thought of those horrible things being back.

He returned to his room, bottle of water in hand, and sat down at his computer desk. He found a piece of paper and picked up a pen and jotted down the pranks that took place just to keep notes in case anything else happened.

And happened they did. The next day started pretty much the same way. The moment Loki entered the kitchen for breakfast, he was met with hard glares from both Thor and Jane. Torunn was the only non-accusing one in the room as she sat in her highchair and scooped Cheerios into her mouth, totally oblivious to everything else going on around her.

“What?” Loki asked as he pulled out his chair and sat down. Daisy curled around his neck.

“Loki, we’ve had more calls this morning. Neighbors have been complaining non-stop about property damages done through the night.”

“Why do they keep calling here? Shouldn’t this be something for the police?”

“Maybe because they remember the red footprints from last year,” Thor pointed out.

“I told you that was not my fault!” Loki scowled. “Just because some half-blind neighbor claims she saw me walking across her yard doesn’t mean it was me. Please, just let it die.”

“When you lie as easily as you breathe, it’s hard for people to take you seriously when you actually tell the truth,” said Jane.

“Well, I _am_ telling the truth this time. Just like I’m telling the truth now about everything that’s happening this week. None of it is my fault. Like I told you yesterday, I was in my room all night again last night. I only got out of bed once and it was to use the bathroom. _My_ bathroom, I should add. So, no, I never left my room.”

“Loki…” Jane started.

“I’m telling you it wasn’t me!” Loki raised his voice.

“Loki, tell the truth,” Thor demanded.

“I _am_ telling the truth!” He looked from Thor to Jane. “What more do I have to do to convince you?”

“We all know how badly you wanted to string butt paper in people’s trees.”

Loki rolled his eyes and turned an exasperated look to his brother. “It’s called toilet paper. And, yes, I did, but I swear to you it wasn’t me that did all of this.” He turned to Jane. “What happened this time?”

Jane drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She pulled a pad of paper toward her. “Let’s see… Someone’s Halloween decorations were taken down and moved to one corner of the yard. Mr. Drudger’s tool shed was broken into and tools scattered all over his backyard and his mower is missing. A shrunken head was left hanging in the front doorway of Mrs. Blissley’s house. Annnnd…the list goes on.” Jane threw down the pad and pushed it toward Loki. “The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since early this morning.”

Loki sat there and stared at the list of names and damages. None of this sounded like the shadow demons. But then again, they could be working differently this time. All the pranks seemed to be happening during the night, which could easily be the shadows.

“And you actually think I did all this?” He looked at Jane then to Thor. “How can you even begin to accuse me? For one thing, why would I steal someone’s mower? And while we’re on the subject, have you found that mower on our property? Come on, I’m not stupid or sloppy. And where would I even get a shrunken head? This is ridiculous.”

“I’m sorry,” Jane said at last. “Maybe we’re wrong for accusing you. But if it’s not you, then who’s doing this?”

“Can I take this list?” Loki asked.

“Sure, go ahead.”

Loki tore off the list, folded it, and put it beside his plate. Then he started eating. “I’ve been thinking. What if it’s the shadow demons again? What if they escaped the Dark Dimension? What if Crythor somehow got away from Strange?”

He had Thor’s full attention now.

“Would they do something like this?” Thor asked, his brow drawing down.

Loki shrugged. “Granted it doesn’t seem like their style judging from what little I was able to learn about them the last time. But, who knows what they’re capable of? It’s the only explanation I have at the moment.”

Thor nodded, obviously lost in thought.

“If you want, I can keep an eye out for them. I’ll let you know if I notice any weird shadows that don’t belong there.”

Thor shook a finger at him. “Yes, do that. I don’t want those things around our house again.”

When Loki finished his breakfast, he wandered outside, completely lost in his thoughts. He did a survey of the neighborhood from the backyard, looking for anything that might be suspicious or out of the ordinary. It was a long shot, but the last time the shadows were in the neighborhood, there was evidence of it. Everything was as it should be, though. There was an overcast since rain was expected later that night, and a wind was starting to pick up.

Next, he checked out the house and the yard, looking for any signs that the shadows might have been around—dead grass, corroded metal, rotted wood. But he saw nothing.

“Nothing,” he said aloud to Daisy still curled around his neck. “Could it be something else this time?”

Daisy flicked her tongue, lifting her little head to better see everything around her.

“And where did that missing mower go? How could someone pack away a mower in the middle of the night without leaving a trace or making a sound?”

Finally, Loki returned to his room. He unfolded the piece of paper and set it beside the list he started the day before. After reading over the lists several times, he sat down and pulled up a map of the neighborhood on Google. He sketched out a rough version of it and marked off the houses that had already been pranked.

“There seems to be some sort of pattern…” he mused, his brow scrunching down. “The houses in this area are the ones that have been hit. The houses near the beach haven’t been touched. Unless they have and none of the neighbors have bothered to complain. And why hasn’t our house been hit?”

He noticed one specific house was right in the center of the damage. Suddenly a thought hit him. He walked to the window and looked to his right, his eyes resting on the vacant house down the street. It looked normal enough. Just an old, empty house with peeling paint and hanging shutters. One of the upstairs windows was broken. The yard was overgrown with tall grass and weeds. It had been vacant even when they first moved to the neighborhood. But a lot of strange stuff revolving around it had happened over the past several months. Weird noises could be heard some nights. Flickering lights in the windows. People who walked by it swore they felt some sort of ‘presence’. So the neighbors all swore it was haunted.

Regardless if you believe in ghosts or not, it was a perfect place for something sinister to hide, whether natural or supernatural.

“I think we just found out where our mysterious prankster might be living, Daisy.”

Daisy flicked out her tongue and curled snuggly around Loki’s neck.

Excitement filled him at the prospect that he had a new lead to investigate, but he knew Jane and Thor would never let him go to the old house. So he waited patiently until night.

Flashlight in hand, he walked softly downstairs and left the sliding patio doors ajar with the brick that they kept there for that purpose because it had a penchant for sticking.

So far so good. He sprinted across the backyard and jumped over the fence to the back road that led down to the beach. Here he followed the road in the opposite direction until he came to the vacant house. In the light of the streetlight, it looked like a black void in the distance. You could barely make out the outline of the house.

Loki stood on the street and stared through the trees. He hesitated. Then he felt silly for being afraid of a haunted house. He’d faced worse. So, why was he having a problem with going inside?

A rumble of thunder rolled overhead, and the wind started to blow harder. Loki’s hair whipped around his face, and he lifted a hand to brush it back.

Finally, he walked forward and waded his way through the tall grass and up the steps to the porch. He jiggled the doorknob, but, naturally, the door was locked.

“Great.” He shined his flashlight around to see if there was another way in that didn’t involve breaking a window.

He heard a thump on the inside that caused him to stop. He peered through the window, straining to see what it was, but the glass was so dirty he couldn’t get a clear view.

“Excuse me, kid.”

Despite himself, Loki jumped and spun around at hearing the sudden voice. He shined his light in the direction the voice had come from. The man standing there winced and lifted a furry hand to shield his face from the bright beam.

“Hey, take it easy with that light.”

Loki’s eyes grew big, and he backpedaled until he hit the window behind him. He sized up the hairy person standing at the bottom of the porch steps.

“Ar-are you talking to me?” he finally got out.

“You’re the only one here,” said the man. “And don’t be afraid. I’m not going to eat you. I’m vegetarian.”

That was nice to know, Loki thought. He scowled. “I’m not afraid. You just…startled me. I wasn’t expecting to meet anyone here.”

The man stepped onto the porch. And it was at this moment that the trickster noticed the man wasn’t alone. There were others at the bottom of the steps.

“Have you seen a gremlin around here?” the hairy man asked.

Loki gawked at the creatures, his jaw hanging slack. Then he forced out a laugh. “Great costumes, I must say. You almost had me fooled. But aren’t you a little early for trick-or-treat? Halloween is still a couple of days away.”

The werewolf exchanged looks with the guy wrapped in bandages beside him then turned his yellow eyes back to Loki, his face showing a hint of annoyance like the trickster’s choice of words were offensive.

“Uh…we aren’t wearing costumes,” said the werewolf. “And we’re not here for trick-or-treat.”

Loki’s eyebrows rose at this admission. Then his eyes shifted to the S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem on the werewolf’s shoulder.

“Y-y-y-you’re S.H.I.E.L.D.? But…” His mind was officially blown.

“Secret paranormal ops team called The Howling Commandos,” the werewolf explained with a smirk. “I’m Jack Russell.” He pointed to the bandaged man wearing a pharaoh’s headpiece and skirt. “This is N’Kantu. Aka The Living Mummy.”

N’Kantu nodded silently in greeting.

“Hi! I’m Frank,” said a large guy who looked like a bulked-up Frankenstein’s monster. His left arm and hand were made up of a large metal hammer that resembled Thor’s. It had the S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem on the sides. He also carried a large gun barrel on his back that stuck up over his head. Something about him reminded Loki of the Hulk, and it made him cringe. “And this is Man-Thing.” Frank pointed to a creature beside him that appeared to be made of mud and moss with two piercing red eyes. It never said a word but stood perfectly still next to one of the trees.

“Okay… But…how?” Loki looked from one to the other, his mind struggling to understand. All of them looked like refugees from the mortal books he’d read or the old black and white monster movies Jane often watched late at nights when she couldn’t sleep.

Jack smiled, his fangs poking out from under his top lip. “You’ll get used to it.”

“You know Fury?”

“Obviously, since we work for him.” Jack took a few steps forward. “Which brings me back to why we’re here.”

“You said something about a…gremlin?”

“Yes.” Jack peered through the window. He sniffed a few times. “Jane Foster called Fury and asked him if the shadow demons had escaped Dr. Strange’s hold again.” He sniffed around the door while he spoke.

“Well?” Loki prodded when Jack paused.

“The demons are still secure in their dimension, but Strange said it might be a gremlin from the way Jane described it. It’s been playing pranks on the neighborhood, correct?”

“Yes. It’s been uprooting flower gardens, painting on cars, rearranging people’s belongings, and a mower is missing. Among other things. The list is a long one.”

Jack nodded. “Yep, sounds like a gremlin.”

Loki continued, “The damages seem to be mostly around this area. I thought whatever it was might be living in this old house.”

“Very good reasoning,” said N’Kantu. “And you are?”

“Loki.”

“Ah, Thor’s brother. We’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Like what?” Loki lifted an eyebrow.

“Like the damage you did to New York,” said Jack.

“That wasn’t entirely my fault. I was brainwashed by Thanos and forced into it against my will. I did what I had to do to break free of the hold. It was either that or they kill me.”

“Take it easy, kid. No one here is blaming you.” Jack moved on to the next window, still sniffing around. “Things happen. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I think we’ve all been there at least once.”

Loki blinked. “You mean…you aren’t mad at me?”

“Of course not,” said Frank. “Why would we be?”

Loki shrugged.

“But there is the little matter regarding Agent Coulson,” said N’Kantu.

Loki’s mouth twitched at the mentioning of the agent’s name. It was a wound he’d hoped to leave in the past. “I never meant for anyone to die,” he breathed out. “You have to believe me. I wrestle with that moment a lot. I wish I could go back and undo it, but I can’t.”

Jack walked up and put a hand on Loki’s shoulder. “You have to learn to let it go and move on. That’s all you can do.”

Loki nodded, his gaze falling to the ground.

Man-Thing tapped Frank on the shoulder.

“Yeah, Man-Thing is right. We need to stay focused on our mission, guys.”

“Right,” said Jack. “And he’s in here. I can smell him through the door.”

“Is there a way to get inside?” Loki asked. “I tried, but the door’s locked.”

“Leave that to me,” said Frank. Due to his height and the gun on his back, the creature had to stoop over to walk under the porch’s overhang. Loki was almost sure the porch itself wouldn’t hold up under Frank’s obvious weight, each board creaking with his steps. But it held up, surprisingly. Frank grabbed hold of the doorknob and pulled it completely out of the wood with a crack and a pop, splinters flying in all directions. The front door swung inward easily, allowing them entrance.

The Howling Commandos and Loki entered the house in a single file, Man-Thing bringing up the rear. Loki shined his light around. The place was empty except for pieces of trash scattered on the floor. Cobwebs and exposed wires hung from the light fixtures. Wallpaper was curled up on just about every wall. Part of the ceiling had caved in in one of the nearest rooms.

Something about all of this didn’t feel right. Loki shuddered. He absently reached out and placed his hand on the bulky form beside him.

“YOW!” he cried out, jerking his hand away. He quickly extinguished small flames on his fingers. “Ow, ow!” Wincing, he stuck his injured fingers in his mouth and turned his flashlight on Man-Thing, confused as to what just happened. Man-Thing didn’t look hot or fiery by any means. So…why?

“Why are you afraid?” asked Jack, an amused smirk curling the edge of his mouth.

“I’m not afraid!” Loki lied. “Who says I am?”

N’Kantu lifted an eyebrow. “Man-Thing does. He burns anyone who feels fear.”

“What?”

“Man-Thing burns anyone who feels fear,” Frank repeated.

Blushing, Loki looked up at Man-Thing again. The creature’s red eyes peered back at him silently.

“This place gives me the creeps…” Loki mumbled. He stepped away from Man-Thing, making sure to give him a wide berth so he wouldn’t get burned again.

Lightning flashed through the windows and thunder boomed overhead. A long creak sounded through the ceiling right above their heads as if someone or something had walked across the upstairs floor. Loki pointed the beam of his flashlight up. Everyone waited silently and expectantly, staring upward.

“Come on,” Jack whispered when no other noises were heard. “Let’s investigate a little bit.”

“You need my light?” Loki offered.

“Nah. I can see just fine in the dark.” Jack turned to his comrades. “Man-Thing, go wait outside. Keep a close watch on the house and make sure this thing doesn’t escape through an opening we don’t know about. I want this gremlin captured tonight.”

Man-Thing inclined his head in a slow nod, turned, and exited through the door.

Loki was glad he was gone. Now he didn’t have to worry about touching him again.

The remaining Commandoes trudged past Loki and headed toward the back part of the house. Loud squeaks echoed through the hallways as they opened up doors and searched the rooms.

Loki sighed and finally managed to pull his feet loose from the spot he stood. He walked forward and gripped the banister and started making his way upstairs. Why was he so afraid? It was just an old, empty house that was falling apart and made weird noises. It probably wasn’t even haunted. And even if it was, why was he afraid of some dusty old ghost? He’d seen and met far worse things during his magic lessons with Frigga—things from other dimensions that can’t be explained. Like the shadow demons. In his opinion, the shadow demons are far worse than ghosts.

Lightning continued to flash outside, lighting up the empty rooms at intervals and throwing odd shadows across the floor and walls.

Loki pushed open the first door he saw when he stepped onto the landing at the top of the stairs. It creaked noisily on rusty hinges like every other door in the place. The room on the other side was bare and empty of furniture except for a dilapidated dresser in one corner. One side of it was caved in and its drawers were pulled out and scattered across the floor along with mounds of moldy clothes.

He cringed and wrinkled his nose.

“Ew, this place is disgusting,” he whispered. He made a mental note not to touch anything.

Suddenly, a scurrying ahead of him made him freeze. He swung his light around and searched the hallway, but nothing was there. He felt his heart thumping wildly in his chest and reached up to put a hand there, squeezing and twisting his shirt.

This fear… Why? It wasn’t overwhelming and smothering like the fear he felt when he was near the shadow demons. It was a normal fear—an irrational fear. But, why? Was it because he was mortal? Magicless? Helpless?

He swallowed. Shakily, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a balisong knife and flipped it open. He took deep breaths to calm himself.

“It’s just a gremlin,” he said aloud as he took a few steps forward, knife extended. “Just a creature similar to trolls and elves.”

Another blinding flash of lightning lit up the rooms and thunder shook the house. By now, rain was beginning to come down, making pitter-patter sounds on the windows. The empty rooms amplified it tenfold.

Loki stalled a second or two then continued walking.

Scrambling met his ears again. This time it sounded like it came from the room at the end of the hallway.

Loki walked faster until he reached the room. Before he could turn the corner and look inside, a blur flew at him. He threw up his arms to shield his head as whatever it was clipped him and landed with a heavy thump in the hall behind him. It galloped down the length of the passageway.

“JACK!” Loki yelled. “It’s coming your way!”

“I see it,” Jack called up the stairs.

There was a deafening, inhuman screech, and the sounds of a scuffle followed shortly after. Loki ran toward the stairs and looked over the railing, shining his flashlight down. N’Kantu had the gremlin pinned to the floor with his bandages. Loki took a second look, making sure he saw it right.

“Watch out for his claws,” said Frank.

The gremlin screeched again and sliced through the bandages with one swipe of his hand and bounded off into another room.

“I told you to watch out for his claws!”

“Thank you for reminding him he could slice through,” Jack shot back.

Loki hurried down the stairs, taking two at a time. When he reached the bottom step, the Commandos rushed past him.

“Which way did he go?” he asked.

“That way,” N’Kantu said.

Jack sniffed the air, following the scent to a door in what used to be the kitchen.

“This is it,” he said.

“It’s behind this door?” Loki swept the door with the light beam.

The werewolf nodded. He stretched out a hairy hand and opened the door. There was a staircase on the other side leading down to the basement. A heavy musty odor hit Loki in the face and made him almost gag. Spider’s webs and dust clung to the banisters and sides.

“There is no way I’m going down there in that filthy place,” Loki blurted out.

Jack lifted an eyebrow and turned a puzzled look to him. He shifted his gaze to Frank, who shrugged.

“I’ll go first,” said Jack, finally. “N’Kantu, follow me. Frank, you back us up if we need it.”

“Gotcha!” Frank pulled his gun barrel around and readied it.

“And, Loki…”

Loki turned to Jack.

“You do whatever you feel like you need to do.”

He nodded. He took a second look at Frank. “You’re not seriously going to use that in this small space, are you?”

“Don’t worry. I got this,” Frank assured.

They walked down the cramped stairs. Jack and N’Kantu had no problem fitting, but Frank had a difficult time squeezing down. His gun and hammer hand scraped against the stone wall, spewing tiny yellow sparks along the way.

When they reached the bottom, Jack hunkered down.

“There he is…”

Loki’s curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to see the thing that pulled the pranks he got blamed for. Steeling himself, he inched his way down the steps behind Frank, careful not to touch the mildewed walls. When they stopped, he peered over the banister at what Jack was talking about, but it was too dark for him to see. He swung his light in that direction…and almost dropped it over the side.

As soon as the beam of light hit it, the creature hissed and flailed around and knocked over paint cans, bottles, and jars that lined the shelves on the walls as it struggled to regain a foothold.

Loki struggled to hold in a gasp that attempted to come up his throat. The gremlin was hanging onto the shelves by its clawed feet and hands like a lizard. It was lanky and spidery in build, having purple skin and long, greasy black hair. Its ears were pointed, almost bat-like. It turned its head to look at them and revealed the most grotesque face Loki had ever seen. And that was saying a lot since he’d met a lot of different races over his lifetime. It had blood-red eyes and a mouth full of yellowed, gnarled, and jagged teeth.

“You want me to fire at it?” Frank asked.

“No. Not yet.” Jack stepped off the bottom step slowly. “Fury doesn’t want it dead. Dr. Strange said he’d take it and send it into another dimension. We just need to wound it enough so we can get it out of here without it tearing us to pieces. Stand by and only fire at it if you have to—as a last resort if things get out of hand.”

Frank nodded his understanding. “Got it.”

“N’Kantu,”—Jack turned to the mummy—“wrap it up again.”

N’Kantu joined Jack’s side at the bottom of the stairs. Long bandages snaked out from the mummy’s body and flew toward the gremlin.

The gremlin hissed and jumped out of the way. N’Kantu followed it with his bandages, hoping to ensnare it, but instead grabbed nothing but air as the gremlin leaped around the main part of the basement to evade capture.

“I can’t grab hold of it,” N’Kantu grunted after six minutes. “He’s too fast.”

“Here, let me help,” said Frank. He put away his gun and his right arm extended outward on a chain across the basement. He grabbed onto the gremlin and slammed it down to the cement floor. “Wrap it up.”

The gremlin wriggled and hissed and screeched as N’Kantu’s bandages wrapped it up in a bandage cocoon. But it still didn’t help. It used its back claws to slice through them like tissue paper. It pushed against Frank’s hand and slid out of the grip so hard that it backpedaled and crashed into an old wardrobe full of moldy, moth-eaten hats and coats.

Loki stood silently, frozen to his spot on the stairs, and watched the whole struggle.

Once the gremlin regained its composure, it started for the stair railing but stopped when it saw Loki. Instantly, the gremlin’s form melted into a gooey shape, and in its place stood Loki.

Loki’s mouth dropped open, and he stepped back. “You didn’t say anything about him being a shapeshifter!”

“You didn’t ask,” said Jack.

“This explains why all the neighbors were blaming me for the pranks.” Loki pulled back his hand and threw his knife at the gremlin. The blade caught in its chest. The gremlin threw its head back and let out a pained howl.

While the gremlin was distracted, Jack took advantage of the opening and lunged at it, knocking it off its feet and back into the wardrobe. “FRANK! Grab him now while he doesn’t have claws! If you close your hand around him tightly he shouldn’t be able to change form again.”

Frank extended his hand and grabbed onto the second Loki, closing his fingers around him. The gremlin, in Loki’s form, kicked and fought in the hold, trying to change his shape, but Frank’s tight grip kept him from doing so just as Jack surmised.

“We got him!” Jack called out. “N’Kantu, wrap him up good and tight so he can’t move.”

The bandages snaked out from the mummy’s body and quickly wrapped up the gremlin tightly. The second Loki pushed against the bandages, but try as he might, he still couldn’t change back. He opened his mouth and let out an enraged screech that gave Loki chills. Even more so since it came out of something that currently sported his face. The gremlin locked eyes with him, a deep, guttural growl vibrating inside its throat. But the eyes didn’t match Loki’s. Or at least, they didn’t match his eyes as they currently were. They were still blood-red. Seeing them staring at him reminded him of his Jotun form, and another chill ran down him.

Loki jumped and came out of his trance when he felt a padded, furry hand cup his shoulder.

“Great work, kid,” Jack praised. “That was an impressive throw. You’re an expert with blades, aren’t you? You’d have to be to throw one like that.”

Loki nodded numbly. “Yeah, I am. My mother taught me.”

“She must be proud.”

Loki forced a sad smile. “Yeah, she is.” He returned his eyes to the gremlin.

_A few minutes later:_

“I don’t believe it,” Jane breathed out as she stared at the gremlin in Loki’s likeness standing in front of her. Although, she wasn’t sure which one she was referring to. The gremlin or the werewolf that was holding him in check. She looked around at the other Commandos standing on their lawn. Rain continued to come down in a steady mist. “I knew Fury had secret teams out there, but…”

Jack cracked a smile. “You’ll get used to it.”

“The gremlin won’t be bothering you or your neighbors anymore,” said Frank. “We’re going to take him to New York and drop him off at Dr. Strange’s house after we check in with Fury.”

Jane nodded.

“And you said he was living in the empty house down the street?” Thor’s brow furrowed.

“That’s the nature of gremlins. They’ll find abandoned houses to live in while they wreak havoc on the neighborhood,” N’Kantu explained.

“But why does he look like my brother?”

“Shapeshifter.”

“I _told_ you it wasn’t me!” said Loki. “And here’s evidence to prove it.” He held up a can of yellow paint. “The basement of the empty house is full of paint cans. I’m willing to bet he also walked across everyone’s yards with red paint on some old shoes he found in the house last year. The missing mower is also there.”

“You have Loki to thank.” Jack flashed a smile at the trickster. “He wounded the gremlin enough so we could move in.”

Loki shrugged and puffed out his chest. “True. But I lost a good knife in the process.”

“I’ll reimburse you with a S.H.I.E.L.D. grade one,” said Jack. “Expect a package in the mail.”

Man-Thing clapped Loki on the shoulder. The trickster looked at the green, grassy hand then turned his eyes up at the creature.

“He’s touching me and I’m not burning.”

“He likes you,” Jack said with a smile. “And you aren’t afraid right now.”

On Halloween night, Loki walked down the stairs while he adjusted the pants of his costume.

“I guess it fits okay,” he said. “It’s a bit tight. But then again, the real deal is also tight.”

“Loki, you look amazing,” Jane complimented. “It doesn’t look that tight to me.”

“You aren’t the one wearing it.”

“It looks good,” said Thor. “Although, I’m not sure how I feel about this. What would Steve say?”

“I don’t think he’d mind in this case,” Jane laughed.

“It’s a cheap reproduction,” Loki continued. “I could conjure a better looking costume with my magic if I still had it.” He looked down at the store-bought Captain America costume he was dressed in.

“I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s just for Halloween,” Jane reminded.

Loki looked at her for the first time. “What are you supposed to be?”

She smiled. “It’s a Renaissance maiden outfit.” She lifted the skirt of her costume and let it fall back in place. “I didn’t want anything too flashy. It was either this or make a replica of Sif’s armor. Of the two choices, I decided this would be more comfortable.”

“I think you look lovely.” Thor smiled.

“Are you going as yourself again, Thor?”  
Everyone turned to Darcy coming out of the kitchen. She held Torunn in one arm and held a can of Dr. Pepper in her other hand.

Thor frowned. “Of course. What’s wrong with that?”

“Duh, it’s Halloween! It’s the one time of the year when you can dress up in whatever costume you want and go out in public. And you choose your standard outfit. You’re totally missing out on a big part of the holiday.”

Thor looked down at his clothes then back to Darcy, still confused. “I prefer to wear this. Besides, I don’t understand the importance of dressing up in costumes. It seems silly to me.”

“You don’t have masquerade balls on Asgard?” Jane asked.

Thor’s brow furrowed. “No. What’s that?”

Loki rolled his eyes at Thor’s reply.

“Never mind.” Jane turned to Darcy. “Are you sure you don’t mind babysitting Torunn while we’re gone? You’re going to miss out on a lot of fun. I can always call someone else in to babysit.”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Darcy waved her off. “I don’t think anyone else could handle her, especially if her powers start showing. I’m pretty used to it by now.” She kissed Torunn’s forehead. “You guys go and have fun. Just bring me back a large sack of candy and a caramel apple, and I’ll consider us even.”

Jane laughed. “Alright.”

“What are we waiting for?” Loki grinned. “Let’s go!”

With that, all of them left the house and were on their way to the beach.

-The End


End file.
